The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Trailer operators defer decision to join strike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 01, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Trailer operators defer decision to join strike

By N. Ravi Kumar

The normally bustling container terminal of the Chennai port wears a deserted look on Monday, eighth-day of the strike by non-management workers of the facility. — Photo: Vino John

CHENNAI, MAY 31. Trade especially importers, patronising the Chennai port's privatised container terminal, has a reason to cheer as trailer operators deferred their decision to go on strike from today.

Over 300 non-management workers of the terminal's private operator, however, stayed away from work for the eighth day.

The trailer operators conveyed their decision to the Port Trust chairman, M. Raman, this morning, and it is expected to facilitate the shifting of a few thousand import containers out of the terminal to off-dock container freight stations (CFS).

The move is expected to bring relief to industrial units, including a car manufacturing facility near here, whose imported components are stuck inside the terminal. In addition to over 7,000 import containers, a few thousand cargo boxes meant for exports have piled-up after the non-management workers began their protest on the night of May 23.

Following the trailer operators' decision, import boxes will be moved out en-bloc and the trade could take possession from the CFSs. The operators threatened to go on strike seeking measures to reduce the turnaround time for vehicles.

Giving details of the assurances given by Chennai Container Terminal Limited, private operator, and the Chennai Port Trust, based on which the operators deferred their decision, port-users said containers, lying inside for 10 days, would be initially be moved out. "After completing movement of the 10-day-old containers, all five-day-old containers would be moved," according to a copy of the agreement available with The Hindu.

CCTL agreed to have a committee consisting of two representatives from each user-association, including those from the trailer operators' trade union. The committee would meet daily and review the situation. The ChPT would also nominate an officer to "sort out day-to-day problems."

The private operator also gave the assurance that it would induct four new cranes — likely to be delivered in early 2005 — and discontinue the `O' yard inspection for a fortnight. The ChPT agreed to provide parking space for containers, coming without valid (cargo) documents, near gate 1, avoiding congestion. It also agreed to a request by the trailer operators to allow parking of empty trailers within the port.

The trailer operators' decision could provide some solace to the trade, which is not only suffering a huge financial loss but is also likely to lose fresh orders because of the problem at the terminal. M. Rafeeque Ahmed, Federation of Indian Export Organisations chief, in a release, said the "ongoing strike" badly affected the exporters, who are already suffering because of the appreciation of the rupee against the US dollar. "For export items of perishable nature, the loss being suffered is manifold."

The Confederation of Indian Industry, Southern Region, said the strike increased the industry's burden with the imposition of a congestion surcharge by shipping lines up to $ 50 a box with effect from June 1. The congestion surcharge must to be recovered from CCTL and not trade, the release said. The CII strongly urged CCTL to find a way of resolving the situation immediately.

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